Indiana State University Newsroom

MARCH ON! Campaign exceeds goal

January 4, 2012

The Indiana State University Foundation announced today that the school's first comprehensive fundraising campaign has exceeded its $85 million goal. MARCH ON! The Campaign for Indiana State University concluded at the end of December.

"I am absolutely ecstatic about the support Indiana State has received from our alumni and friends," said university President Daniel J. Bradley. "The success of this first-ever comprehensive campaign demonstrates what is possible and bodes well for the future. On behalf of everyone at Indiana State, I extend our sincere appreciation to all involved."

The funds raised during the MARCH ON! Campaign support university students, faculty, programs and facilities by establishing new initiatives at ISU and building on existing ones. Gifts during the campaign created 250 new scholarships and funds to support students and the work of Indiana State faculty. This includes doubling the number of named Presidential Scholarships, the university's most prestigious financial award for students.

"MARCH ON! has dramatically impacted Indiana State. The contributions of generous alumni and friends allowed the campaign to surpass its goal and they have become a lasting part of our rich university history," said Mike Alley, president of the ISU board of trustees and chair of the national campaign committee.

More than 18,000 donors contributed to exceeding the campaign goal, including the second largest individual gift in university history which named the Donald W. Scott College of Business and a $1 million gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation to endow the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Indiana State.

"This is truly a remarkable accomplishment for the university," said Gene Crume, president of the ISU Foundation. "MARCH ON! has been our work for the past six years and has given us an opportunity to not only think about fundraising in a new way, but also establish the foundation for an enhanced culture of private philanthropy at Indiana State."

The ISU Foundation Board of Directors initiated the campaign in January 2006. At the board's upcoming January meeting, it will bring the fundraising portion of the campaign to an official close. The board's development committee will conduct a campaign audit and indicate an official campaign fundraising total for announcement by the full board. Additional information about the campaign will be available following the meeting.

"This campaign has been a transformative experience," Crume said. "Each and every donor has contributed to the success of MARCH ON!"